April 26, 2009

C Is for Cookie

I dreamed last night that I was arguing with someone at United about giving me a discount on an eleven pound bulk block of Callebaut bittersweet chocolate. The price of that brand increased to $8.99/lb a few weeks ago. I buy at least a pound every time I darken the door of the store. I'm going to have to start buying it online, where the price of the eleven pound block is in the $60 range. Yes, these are the things that occupy my mind.

I made my Big and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and took some to work. I tried Jacques Torres' suggestion and let the batter sit in the fridge for 36 hours before baking. I'm not sure that helped my recipe. Maybe sometime I'll try Jacques' super duper fussy recipe that calls for both cake flour and bread flour and bittersweet chocolate fèves instead of chips. I try not to shun complicated recipes.

Today for dessert we had Raspberry-Almond Napoleons. First I made a batch of Kimbo's Runny Pudding. (Remember that, Steve?) The short story is that one time I had some of that runny pudding spill in my truck at the height of summer. Nothing stinks up your car quite like eggs and dairy and vanilla. That's what I get for trying to be nice and share. After many attempts, I've realized that the America's Test Kitchen "Good Book" vanilla pudding recipe doesn't thicken and set properly. I decided it is short a tablespoon of cornstarch and an egg yolk.

I cut a sheet of puff pastry into smaller rectangles, brushed the pastry with an egg wash, sprinkled it with sugar, and baked it. Whipped heavy cream, added some runny pudding and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and beat it to stiff peaks. Spread the pudding mixture over the bottom half of a pastry square, topped it with slivered almonds and raspberries. Spread pudding mixture over the top half of the pastry and placed it on top of the berries. Garnished the top with a little more pudding, a raspberry, and almond slivers.

They were very pretty and tasty but messy to eat. Sorry that you missed them. As Cookie Monster said, "You always denying me!" You can print out a picture of them just the same.

I can't stand Elmo. Katie told me that the reason Elmo owns Sesame Street now is because Sesame Street used to be targeted to an audience of 4-6 year olds, but now those kids are in daycare, preschool, grade school and don't watch Sesame Street. Now Sesame Street is aimed at 1-3 year olds, and I guess they like Elmo.

I think kids' shows are terrible compared to what they were when I was a kid. We watched old school Looney Tunes, Disney, and Ninja Turtles, and I'm perfect.